Beyond Boundaries
by Chibi Koorine
Summary: A different version of the Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipland.
1. Chapter 1

Yeah... This is my version of the Jngle Book, so deal with it!

Disclaimer: Don't own any of the Jungle Book characters, just borrowed and tweaked them. That's all.

Deep within a jungle, were not a person would dare go, where animals roam free, where water are pure and hearts are true, stor

Deep within a jungle, were not a person would dare go, where animals roam free, where water are pure and hearts are true, stories drift here and there. Tales of love, tales of betrayal, tales of horror, and tales of honor. Tales that befuddle your minds, takes that takes your soul on a journey that you could never possibly imagine. This tale however, is a tale of a young boy who grew to be a young man, a tale of honor, betrayal and love.

Many years ago, when white men found the lands of the natives delightful and took it as their own, there was a family who had a young baby boy. Now this family was one that was not in alliance with the white men. The white men did not like this and banished the family to the jungle. Regrettably, everyone did not survive, but the boy did. Alone in the jungle, he had no chance of surviving until a rather young panther came and rescued the boy from the treacherous grasp of a deadly crocodile. The panther could not raise the child as her own, for she had no mate, nor can she feed the child in anyway. It was not until she met Aketa and his mate who just had a litter. They agreed to care for the child as their own. Summer rains has come and gone until the baby reached the age of ten rains. Now it is his story we must speak of.

Mowgli, which he was called by the wolves, was in the more barren parts of the forest, playing with his brother wolves. "Mowgli! Betcha can't do this!" A young male wolf said as he bound up the rocks to a high peak of a cliff. The other wolves followed and waited for Mowgli to follow.

The boy just smiled. "Just watch and see Seka!" The boy yelled. The peak was a good ways up, about a hundred and something meters. Mowgli showed no fear to the other wolves, but inside he shivered with excitement. He knew his body was not that of his brothers and he could not run like them even if he tried. As his eyes scanned the mountain, he found a pathway that seemed stable enough for him to climb. So he jumped on the bottom rock and slowly climbed up to the rocks that led up to the peak, the other wolves cheered for him as he made it up. Up on the peak was a great view of part of the jungle, their part given to them by the great jungle lord. A large pile of black clouds formed in the sky and there were surprised to see these dark clouds.

"The rains could not have come so soon, could they brother Seka?" A rather young wolf, five rains old, asked.

"No, the rains are not due yet. It had just rained a moon ago." Seka said, fairly confused at the change in weather. He sniffed the air. "It does not smell like rain. Mowgli, what do you think?" He turned to his adopted wolf brother who was strangely frozen. His eyes were unfocused, and his body was oddly stiff as he looked at the cloud with a look on his face that Seka could not place.

His mouth slowly unfroze, and spoke a word that was terrifying to listen to. "Fire." The other wolves' breaths became irregular, as this word was the bane of their lives. Some had the expression of disbelief, after all, how can this be true? Man has not set foot in the jungle for years. Seka knew otherwise, he knew too well.

"Everyone, back to the den, immediately!" Seka shouted to the other wolves. The others obeyed and left Seka, Mowgli and one other wolf on the cliff.

The other wolf looked at Seka. "Seka, how can you be so sure? That can not possibly be fire; man has not come into the jungle for many rains. The last time man came was-"

"Ten rains. Do you not remember? Fire nearly took the life of our brothers and sisters." Seka replied.

Suddenly Mowgli snapped out of his trance and shouted, "The den!" He then rushed down the cliff at a speed that surprised the two wolves. When Mowgli had reached the base of the cliff, Seka realized what Mowgli was shouting about.

"The den's on fire!" Seka and the other wolf ran towards the den. Nearing the den, they saw that the den was on fire and men were around it with traps that held many young wolves. The men were strange looking, with hair unnaturally cut and groomed to a point that it was repulsively mocking nature. They were also wearing cloths that covered the framework of their body, unlike Mowgli who only wore a piece of cloth as big as a banana leaf that circled around his waist and in between his legs hiding what would have hung out and delay his speed. In total, there were five at the moment.

"Sake, get over here." Seka said in a low voice. Sake went over to the tree where Seka was hiding behind. "Do you see Mowgli anywhere?"

"No." Sake answered.

A racket made the two wolves run to where the men were. Mowgli was on the men, trying to free the wolves in the traps. The men were trying to tie Mowgli down but were failing miserably. The men were shouting in some incomprehensible tongue, but it was obvious that they wanted to get out of the jungle. Just hen the men had nearly had Mowgli tied down, one of them let loose a painful scream. It had seemed that Mowgli had shoved his callous foot between the legs of one man. The man let go of Mowgli's legs, which allowed Mowgli a chance to fight back. Seka rushed out to tackle the man who held the arms of his adopted wolf brother. While the wolves and Mowgli both took on a man each, leaving one man unwounded and one man clutching the thing between his legs. The man fighting Sake shouted something to the free man who nodded and grabbed the bags containing many wolf cubs and tossed them onto a thing with many cages. Mowgli wrestled out of his opponent's grip and kicked him between the legs and ran towards the thing. The man on the thing ran off at an incredible speed as Mowgli cling onto the rear of the thing. With all his strength, he climbed up into the thing and began opening the cages as fast as he could. The man shouted something, but Mowgli ignored him and continued to free his captive family. When he freed all of them, his hands were raw and bloody. He was about to jump off the thing when white rough vine that was in a loop was tied around his neck. Mowgli tried to struggle to get out of the rope and out of whatever he was on. The man on the thing, however, threw some more white vines around him and tied the boy to a square thing that was on whatever they were in. The man left Mowgli tied up there, closed the walls in on Mowgli, and went back to the front, laughing. Mowgli struggled to get out of the ropes, but in vain.

Mowgli stayed like that, for the longest time, slipping into sleep and out of sleep as the thing trudged on. As he was slipping into slumber, the thing stopped. He heard several noises outside, a crack as well as soft murmurings and the loud voice of the man who tied him down. Sudden light hit him in the face as the thing that covered the light opened with a soft hiss and crack. He blinded in the sunlight, howling. The murmurings became louder. As he opened his eyes, he saw many people, men and men's objects were staring and laughing at him. He growled at them, his anger building but he could not get out of his bondages. The man that bound him came in ripping his bondages from the square thing, but kept the white vines around him disabling him to move to his will. Mowgli felt him being pulled out into the sunlight, into the mocking and jeers of the crowd that surrounded him. He could feel their scalding words on his skin. He felt the heat of the sun, the brightness of it was blinding him. He was used to the cool dark jungle, than this torrid environment. He could feel the hot blood on his skin and realized that he was in pain. The man was ripping him apart. The thing that the man held in his hand, that was ripping Mowgli apart. Biting his lip, he held back the screams and tears which would only provoke the crowd; he would not show them fear. The pain only increased, Mowgli knew that he was weakening; he hadn't lost this much blood before. By now, the sun was at its peak, the heat was too much for him. He fell to his knees, as the jeering grew louder. All that mattered was that he had to find a way to live. Suddenly, Mowgli felt a cool touch around him; someone was hugging him, defending him from the oncoming blows. The crowd grew silent. Mowgli was in shock. Who in their own mind in this world of man would help a jungle creature? He heard soft voice around him, but his vision was blurry. He could barely see, and he felt himself becoming unconscious.

Review please.


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2**

When he awoke, he was staring into a pure white color in front of him. He felt softness covering him, behind his head and under his body. The one behind his head felt like the soft down feathers of the molting birds of the jungle that he loved to play with when he was younger. The softness below him felt like Bagheera's soft fur and the one covering him felt like his mother's soft fur, not sleek or smooth as Bagheera's but warm and comforting. He pulled the one covering him over his face and breathed in the scent and found that it had none. Pushing it back down, he sat up and saw several things. Now he knew that he was confined in a four walled place, a man's room. He threw off the covering and climbed out of the thing that he was on. He heard shuffling when he stood up and looked down. On him was strange material like what the men wore, covering every part of him only exposing his paws and head. Growling with anger, he tore it all off, leaving nothing on, like what he was like in the jungle. Sighing in relief as the bondages of his body fell, he felt the cool air lick his body clean of man's bondage and walked around the room and saw many strange and new, but exciting things. Picking up a rectangular object, he sniffed it. _Trees, it smells like trees._ He thought. Prying it open, he found that it opened quite easily. Inside were many pictures. There were pictures of men, some of animals, but most were funny little black pictures that were place tightly together and often repeated one after another. Mowgli left his fingers wander over the object, feeling the smooth texture of it. When it failed to interest him anymore, he tossed it aside in search of more things that lived in this world of man.

A soft crack caught his attention as he turned to the noise. A part of the wall was opening, revealing another of man's creation; but it looked so real. Mowgli stepped closer, striding to observe this object more closely. The object smiled at him as he walked towards it, but turned to shock as it realized something. Mowgli never saw anything so lovely. It wore something like the matter the men wore, but was more open and seemingly less practical. But a man stepped inside before Mowgli could reached the object, making him growl. In soft tones, the man knelt down to Mowgli, picked up the material that Mowgli dropped and gave them to Mowgli. In a quick motion, he pulled it over Mowgli's head and placed a hand on his cheek and smiled warmly at Mowgli. Mowgli could not understand it. All his life he was taught that man was evil, that they were not to be trusted, yet this man who placed a hand on him as if to comfort him instead of striking gave Mowgli a sense of belonging and tenderness that he did not receive from his wolf family. Standing up, the man held onto Mowgli's hand and pulled him out of the room, and held on to the object's hand as well. The man brought the two down some steps, but Mowgli refused to go down. The man nodded at the object and it walked down by itself. The man knelt down and picked up Mowgli and carried him down.

The place Mowgli was in now was extremely orientated. Everything was bright and white; he had never seen such a false purity. As the man placed him on the ground, he stared around in wonder at his surroundings. He felt a pull on his arm and turned to see man's object pulling on his arm, as if inviting him to follow it. He saw no reason to not follow so he allowed himself to be led by this object of man's. It smiled at him, giving him a strange sense of warmth, both on his skin and inside. The object led him towards a place where the cold hard stone ground met the soft warm soiled earth. A smile came over the object's face as Mowgli was led towards a place where trees and plants were grown, yet in the middle was a pasture area, covered in unnaturally short plants. The object let go of Mowgli's hand and held up an unnaturally round object. It was some sort of rock, but muddy in color. It had no sharp edges, and it seemed light; the object was holding it as if it were but a mere feather.

Without a warning, the object threw it at him. He caught it. He growled at the object. It just stood there, smiling at him. His hand slid around the rock, lifting it; holding it; feeling it. It felt strange, like the skin of a newly molted bird, like the patch of skin Bagheera had under her paw. He still glared at the object, but underneath his façade, he felt strangely amused. This object thought it could play with him. Well, it will soon see otherwise. Before he could do anything, the man came out with another one of his object. This one had an even less practical matter on it. Both it and the man smiled at him. The man bent down to the smaller object and spoke to it; it spoke back. It was the first time he heard any of them talk. It was strangely musically, the way the man spoke, and the way the object spoke made him feel welcomed. The little object smiled and nodded. The man and his taller object then came to him and repeated the same process. The man rubbed his hand in Mowgli's long dark tresses, caressing his head. The object bent down to his level. It pressed its face close to his cheek and gave him a butterfly touch. It was light and quick, but satisfying and wholesome. Then the man and thing left, leaving Mowgli and the other. The other thing came to him and pulled him over to some bushes. These ones were different. They were not cut like the others. They were natural. They were home. He went to his knees and placed his face in the leaves, holding it in his hands; he caressed it to his face, remembering the days when his wolf mother brought them in to keep her cubs warm. Without realizing it, he cried out for his mother.

"So you do speak." He turned to her in surprise. She caught herself and said, "Well, not language of man but the language of wolves." She said, leaning into him.

"How'd you know how to speak the language of wolves?" He asked her, sitting on his rear now. He bent both his legs, one rested on the grass the other was upright.

"How else? I was a part of the wolf pack." She answered and went on her knees in front of him.

"Then why did you leave?"

"I didn't. Man made me. The one that was just here was my real father."

"Then, what was the other thing?"

"A woman."

"Woman?" He bent his head in curiosity. "What's that?"

"A female."

"Then what are you?"

"A girl. You are a boy. We are smaller version of a man and woman."

"What's the difference?" The girl looked confused. He sighed and said, "A girl and a boy. A man and a woman."

"I don't know; papa never told me."

"Papa?" He asked, confused at what this 'girl' was saying.

"It is the same as Father." She replied.

Mogwli leaned forward, towards her. "But... isn't a father someone who raised you?"

"Oh, but he did raise me. After I was brought out of the jungle that is."

"So what is the woman?"

"My mother." Moments of silence passed by them until the girl uttered another question. "What is your name wolfling?"

"Mowgli. My name is Mowgli. Yours?"

"My name is Shanti."

"Shanti…" Mowgli repeated, the name rolling off his tongue effortlessly. "Who named you that?"

"My father."

"What about your other name?"

"My wolfling name is Niar."

"That's a nice name."

The object – girl reddened at the cheeks. "What about yours? What is your wolfling name?"

"I have no other name." Mowgli answered, standing up to inspect his surroundings, still holding the ball. "Why should I have another name than what I was given?" He asked her as she followed him. "Does anyone call you by your wolfling name?"

"No." She answered. "No one calls me that. They say it is barbaric."

"What do you say?" He asked her, dropping the ball. "What do you say about your name?"

"I believe that I like it. No matter how much people say they hate it, I adore my name. Both of them."

"Why both?"

"Both were given out of affection, tenderness and love. How could I not adore it?" The girl replied.

Mowgli shrugged. Switching his attention to something else, he asked, "So, what happens now?"

"What do you mean?"

"What happens to me?" He asked again, fingering a leaf that was on cut hedge.

"I don't know Mowgli." She answered. After a while, she called out to him. "Mowgli." Turning his head to her, he made an unrecognizable sound from his throat. "Just come here Mowgli."

Somewhat obeying the strange female, he walked over to her and knelt down in front of her. Smiling at him, she pulled one of his hands towards her, palm facing upward. There was a thin cut; blood seeped through it like rain with the shelter of leaves. Shaking his head, he pulled his hand back and began standing up. "It's only a-"

Shaking her head, she pulled the hand back and held it to her face. Then, she licked his wound. As she did so, he felt the wetness of her tongue, the movement that it made as it passed through each crevices of his hand, the gentle tremble from her hand that held his own in the warmth that surrounds the wounded hand. Moments passed moments and she finally raised her head from his hand, smiling at him once again, making him wonder if this female had contained any hatred or sadness towards anyone in the small fragile vessel that held her immortal soul. "There!" She stated happily, as if she was the one who had her wounds washed. Standing up, she walked towards the place where man resides, while under her breath she began to sing a tune like birds, but it sounded like the brook and creeks on sunny days, flowing over the rocks and creating small waterfalls. She then turned around, and said something in the foreign language of man, but he understood his name clearly. "Mowgli!"

Once again, he was confounded by her inability to understand anything but happiness and joy. Cocking his head curiously, he gave her a questioning glance. Giggling, she came to him and pulled him towards the place she was walking towards while speaking in the tongue of man. Soon, both were under the mocking shade of man, created by a piece of cloth tied to the stone foundation and pulled down towards sticks that stood up like pillars in the Forbidden City. He was then pulled in further by the female who led him towards a place where the scent of trees was overpowering.

She then allowed him to control his arm once more and walked over to one of the walls which had a strange large object leaning on it with several objects resting on what seemed to be branches connected to the large object which had the natural coloring of normal trees that lived in the jungle. He then looked around at his surroundings. An enormous hole was in one of the walls, separated by thin branches that crisscrossed themselves in a pattern. Besides the hole was an object that looked like the fur of a nursing panther. There were several of those objects around the place. Then, he looked at the ground that he stood upon. It was too, made of trees that were slaughtered in a clean way.

The female did not forsake him. She returned with one of the objects and sat down in front of him. He did the same. Opening it, he found that it was like something that he saw in the place he had been in when he first woke up. But instead of many pictures like the other one, this one had three on each side of the smooth white flesh that reside inside the thick bound. She pointed at a large picture and said an incomprehensible phrase. Cocking his head, he furrowed his brow, unable to understand. Once more, she said it, this time more slowly. He studied the shape of her mouth as she spoke, the way her tongue moved within her mouth.

He tried to imitate her. "Aaye." He finally said.

Clasping her hands together, she made a happy noise. Then pointing to the picture again, she repeated the sound. He did as well. Pleased at him, she pointed to the picture on the other side and made a different sound. He repeated. "Buh-eee." They continued like this for the remainder of the day, and the light from the hole in the wall had faded into the rich ripened red ball of light that readied itself for a long slumber that ensured the coldness of the darkness.

By this time, the man and it's obj- female had returned from wherever they had disappeared to while the two had been with the strange object that held pictures within it's flesh. By now, he had learned how to recognize the sounds that came forth from these mouths of men and their own.

"Hah-el-lo-oo fa-a-te-hah-er."

"Shanti, hah-el-lo-oo. Hah-ow iz-ss te-hah-uh buh-oy-e? Iz-ss ha-e al-rri-te?"

Mowgli soon was bored of the conversation and began indulging himself with the sights around him. It seemed to surprise him every time he walked within this place. There was no end to the different objects that he saw in this place.

"Yah-uh-ss."

His attention snapped towards the ones who brought him here. Tilting his head, he wondered what kind of conversation they were having. Shanti answered his wonderings.

"Mowgli, father said that I could speak the language of the wolves with you, but you have to lean how to speak the language of man."

"Must I?"

"Of course Mowgli! Don't you want to stay with us?" She asked eyes on the verge to that of a wounded deer. Sighing, he nodded. Happily, she turned to the other two and replied in the foreign language that he feared he would come to understand.


End file.
